But writer Christa Glennie Seychew also used a couple pages to look at the “Asian” food many of grew up with. Of course,
most of it wasn’t Asian at all, but there is still a nostalgic fond-ess for some of these Americanized favorites, as shown on this
spread from Spree February 2014. Included were Crab Rangoon
(made with cream cheese), California Roll (made with avocado),
and General Tso’s Chicken (disowned by all descendants of the
legendary general).

American-Asian

BY CHRIS TA GLENNIE SE YCHE W
After making it this far through Spree’s guide to the best Asian fare WNY has to offer, we’re sure you’ve noticed that we’ve hand-selected dishes we believe
are the best of the best
in terms of quality and
authenticity. It is safe to
say that, like hamburgers
or pizza, not all Asian
food is created equal,
and that holds true for
the Americanized Asian
dishes most of us love.

Many of America’s most
popular Asian dishes were
developed when immigrant
cooks attempted to recreate dishes from home with
American ingredients, or
when restaurant owners
tried to please American palates more than their own.
We suppose readers might be
surprised to learn that their
favorites aren’t really Asian
at all, but that bit of news
shouldn’t change how you
feel about them. Good renditions of these American-Asian hybrid concoctions
exist here in WN Y, and we’ve
decided to share some of our
favorites.

01. Crab Rangoon

(WOK & ROLL;

WILLIAMSVILLE)

It’s safe to say
that any seemingly
Asian food made
with cream cheese
is decidedly
inauthentic, and
Rangoon’s canned
crab meat and
Philly-stuffed,
deep-fried wonton
is no exception.

Popularized by
Trader Vic’s in 1956

(the famed San
Francisco eatery
that specialized in
“exotic” Polynesian
food), it is believed
a Burmese recipe
inspired the dish.

02. California Roll

(SEABAR)

Found anywhere from Walmart
to Seabar (one of Buffalo’s
finest restaurants), the
California Roll is as ubiquitous
as the hot dog. Historians trace
the roll to Tokyo Kaikan, a little
joint in Los Angeles. According
to author and sushi expert
Trevor Corson, in the late

1960s the restaurant’s chef
utilized fatty avocado mixed
with crab in place of out-of-season bluefin tuna belly to
prepare toro negimaki, a classic
sushi offering. Seabar’s Cali
roll leaves out the pervasive
crabstick (made of white fish
and dyed red to look like crab
leg) and instead opts for fresh
shrimp with a smattering of
roe.

03. General Tso’s Chicken

(GIN GIN, AMHERST)

In her book, The Fortune Cookie
Chronicles, author Jennifer
8. Lee shares the story of
her determination to locate
the birthplace of General
Tso’s Chicken, arguably one
of America’s most popular
Chinese dishes. She shares
how a journey to China’s Hunan
Province and a face-to-face
meeting the historical figure’s
relatives, five generations
removed, revealed nothing but
blank stares. Certainly some
dish actually served in China
inspired its creation, but no one
is fighting to claim it. Gin Gin,
once Amherst’s best Chinese
restaurant, offers the best
General we’ve found.

02

04. Sesame Chicken

(TASTE GOOD, BUFFALO)

There is no question that both
toasted and in oil form, sesame
seeds are an important ingredient
in Chinese fare. Sesame’s subtle,
nutty flavor is central to many
dishes. But Sesame Chicken
is really just a sweeter version
of General Tso’s, an excuse to
consume breaded and deep fried
chicken dressed in sauce. It tends
to be a crowd pleaser among
those truly uninterested in Asian
cuisine, and the Taste Good in the
plaza at the intersection of Hertel
and Delaware offers an adequate
version featuring white breast
meat.

01

03

04

THINGS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT AMERICAN-ASIAN CUISINE:

There are more Chinese restaurants in the
US than Mc Donalds, KFCs, and Burger
Kings combined.

Pok Pok , Andy Richter’s popular Thai
cookbook, debunks several myths,
including the American notion that Thai
food should be eaten with chopsticks.

The decades-old myth that Chop Suey
was created out of scraps in the kitchen
of a San Francisco boarding house isn’t
remotely true; Chop Suey is as Chinese as
chopsticks.

Fortune cookies aren’t Chinese, and
many think they were invented here, in
America, as part of a marketing ploy. But
Yasuko Nakamachi, a scholar at Kanagawa
University, has discovered that they are
actually Japanese, locating, among other
things, a circa 1878 etching of a young,
Japanese man preparing the delicate treats.

Not all Japanese food is healthy, especially
the American version of sushi rolls. Maki
dripping with mayo and other sauces, rolled
in crunchy and crispy bits, and served in
exceptionally large portions render many
sushi rolls fattening and laden with salt.

Sushi should be eaten with your hands,
unless it is served as sashimi (sans rice).